The club's supporters subjected several players to abuse in a friendly last Thursday, and have now been handed a heftier sanction than the €5,000 fine they previously received

Pro Patria have been ordered to play one game behind closed doors following the racial abuse of AC Milan players.

Kevin-Prince Boateng left the pitch after being subjected to the abuse during a mid-season friendly last Thursday, and was followed off by captain Massimo Ambrosini and the rest of his team-mates.

The Lega Pro, the body that oversees Italian football's third and fourth tiers, has handed out the punishment to Pro Patria, who had already been fined €5,000 earlier this season for similar misdemeanours.

"The Lega Pro will impose on the club Aurora Pro Patria the sanction of the obligation to play a league match behind closed doors with immediate effect, with the caveat that a further breach will be evaluated as an occurrence of multiple violations, for the purposes of the subsequent sanction," a statement read.

"The behaviour of the Pro Patria supporters appeared to be particularly serious as it was a clear manifestation of racist discrimination during a friendly game, so there was no sporting tension or spirit of competition.

"These are not to be considered justification of course, but can be seen as attenuating circumstances when working out punishment.

"The sanction for incidents of this nature is not only punishment, but also a preventative measure to avoid a repeat incident. In the current season, Pro Patria had already been fined €5,000 for incidents of this nature which has proved to be ineffective."

Boateng's team-mates - who followed him down the tunnel - have publicly backed his stance, along with prominent figures from the football world.